


Clarice's Burden

by Cantatrice18



Category: Claymore
Genre: Breastfeeding, Comfort, Gen, Mother Complex, POV Multiple, Secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-05
Updated: 2012-01-05
Packaged: 2017-10-28 23:34:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/313396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cantatrice18/pseuds/Cantatrice18
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tabitha walks in on Clarice while the girl is nursing Miata. However, Tabitha's reaction is not what Clarice expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Clarice

Clarice was bright red, her face burning with shame and humiliation. She tried desperately to turn away, to hide herself from the staring, horrified eyes of the woman in the doorway, but was hampered by the girl between her legs. Miata, stubborn and oblivious as ever, was still latched on to her breast in a bizarre imitation of nursing. She was too scared to pull away or try to stand – Miata was unstable, and everything depended upon maintaining her trust. Without a guiding hand to help calm and control her, Miata was capable of destroying anything and everything in her path. Clarice closed her eyes as she felt a tear roll down her cheek. She’d known that one day her disgrace would be discovered, but she’d prayed that it would not be one of her comrades at Rabona who first found out. She had tried so hard to gain their respect, and now…

A light hand rested on her shoulder and she jumped. Miata broke away, looking confused. “Mama?”

Clarice ran trembling fingers through the child warrior’s hair. “It’s alright, Miata. Everything is fine.”

Miata, satisfied, descended once more on Clarice’s breast, her weight resting against the older warrior’s chest. Clarice heard the whisper of cloth as the woman behind her knelt. She couldn’t help it; she looked back and felt an awful pain in her chest at the sight of the pity in the woman’s eyes. It was almost worse than being ridiculed; if someone else had found her, someone petty or mean, then perhaps she could have borne the taunts and jibes. But no, it had to be Tabitha, the sweetest of all of them. The one Clarice liked the most. Tabitha was so graceful and serene, loyal to Miria yet more intelligent than anyone. She'd secretly longed to become as calm and composed as Tabitha, to be able to leave behind her fear and indecision in battle. Now no matter what she did she would never be able to earn Tabitha’s respect, as she had hoped.

She felt Tabitha lean forward, peering over her shoulder at the nursing girl. “Is this the reason they partnered you two together?”

Clarice hesitated. “They… they know I can calm her and help control her moods, but they don’t know that this is –“

She broke off, but Tabitha seemed to understand. “You are very courageous to take on a task like this.”

Clarice stared at her in confusion. Surely the woman was not implying that acting as a nursemaid was brave. Tabitha smiled sadly. “Letting someone as powerful and unpredictable as Miata so close to you, giving your own body for another warrior, is truly noble. You deserve to be among our ranks.”

Clarice struggled to calm herself. She was torn between doubt and joy, unable to believe Tabitha’s words. The woman wrapped gentle arms around her. “I would not say it if I did not mean it. I’m proud of you.”

Clarice closed her eyes once more, this time out of relief, and leaned back against Tabitha’s chest. Though Miata still refused to let go, the feel of Tabitha’s arms around her comforted her. She felt warm and safe, and a small jolt of surprise ran through her as she realized for the first time how Miata must feel. If she herself gave off such a comforting presence for the little warrior, then it was not surprising that Miata had grown so devoted to her. Perhaps, maybe, Tabitha was right. Perhaps she was not a failure after all.


	2. Tabitha

Her eyes widened at the strange sight before her - the smaller girl lying between the larger one’s legs. For a brief terrifying moment she thought she was seeing something else, something abhorrent, but as the older one shifted she saw that her fears had been misplaced. Far from the abuse her mind had so vividly pictured, Miata was safe and calm, her mouth fastened tightly around Clarice’s breast. She nursed as though expecting Clarice’s body to provide her nourishment, and Tabitha could see how the scrape of the child’s teeth against Clarice's tender skin pained the older girl. Letting go of her uncertainty, Tabitha walked to Clarice’s side. The seated warrior was blushing, and Tabitha felt a surge of pity. She’d wondered, as had the others, why such a weak and low ranked warrior would be partnered with a single digit fighter like Miata. Now she realized the disturbing truth about the organization’s choice. Unable to use Clarice in battle, they’d turned her into a reluctant host for Miata, a tranquilizer of sorts, forced to use her own body as a reward for the child’s good behavior. The worst part was that it seemed to be working: Miata was stable and docile around Clarice, referring to her as “Mama”. Tabitha knelt beside the girls and stared at the little warrior, so peaceful and calm as she suckled at Clarice’s breast. “Is this the reason they partnered you two together?”

She grimaced inwardly as Clarice denied that the organization had any knowledge of the true relationship between the two girls. She knew the organization’s leaders would never have allowed an unstable single digit out of headquarters with only a number 47 accompanying her unless they were absolutely certain the partnership would succeed. They would have had the girls watched. They were undoubtedly aware of the nature of Miata’s attachment to Clarice, and they had encouraged it, abnormal as it was.

Her gaze shifted to Clarice’s face and she saw tear tracks, not from pain caused by Miata but from her shame at being discovered. Of that burden, at least, Tabitha could relieve her. “You are very courageous to take on a task like this. Letting someone as powerful and unpredictable as Miata so close to you, giving your own body for another warrior, is truly noble. You deserve to be among our ranks.”

Of course, it wasn’t really Clarice’s choice – her superiors had been the ones to decide how to use her body. Tabitha’s hatred for the organization deepened as she wrapped her arms around Clarice. The girl was barely more than a child herself – using her as a surrogate was unfair and humiliating, and it had no doubt taken a toll on her already. Murmuring gentle words into Clarice’s ear, she let the girl lean against her, providing strength and serenity while the young warrior held and comforted her own charge. Tabitha sent out a silent prayer to the God of Rabona, asking protection for the child and her unfortunate young protector. Their road would be long and hard, laced with emotional turmoil as well as physical conflicts. As she felt the girls tremble against her she resolved to look after them as best she could, and to eliminate the heartless people who had used the pair so poorly. She was no great warrior in battle, but the one thing she could provide was calm. Their lives would be difficult enough - they deserved every ounce of comfort she could provide. Miata made a tiny noise of contentment and Tabitha found herself smiling. In mere minutes she had unwittingly acquired two children who needed her desperately, and strangely enough she felt happier than she had in a long time. Their odd little group would survive the battles ahead - she would make sure of it.


End file.
